Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Today on the Tandy Hills I went where I seldom go. I parked on View Street, which had me heading to the hills via the View Street Trail.

At the first trail junction I headed west instead of my regular east.

The west side of the View Street Trail is more heavily wooded, more primitively trailed, more easy to get a bit lost and way less visited than the not visited all that much east side of the View Street Trail.

At one point the trail I was on pretty much petered out at a creek running crystal clear water. I crossed the creek and came upon an odd scene.

A football and black jockey briefs on the ground, with a pair of shorts hanging above them on a bush.

Why would anyone carry a football to this isolated location, then take off and leave their shorts and underwear?

Is This The Remains Of An Armadillo?

A short distance from the football I came upon another perplexing sight.

A few days ago I mentioned that I had never seen an armadillo on the Tandy Hills and suggested some of that particular State Animal of Texas should be imported to the Tandy Hills.

Well.

Today I came upon what looked to be the remains of the shell of an armadillo. I don't know what else it could have been if it is not an armadillo.

Changing the subject from one of my favorite Texas animals to one of my favorite Texans, Elsie Hotpepper.

Today I had to deliver sad news to Elsie Hotpepper. For who knows what reason Elsie had her heart set on entering the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant in the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.

I did not enjoy delivering to Elsie the heartbreaking news that she did not have time to register as a student at Sweetwater High School in time to qualify for the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant.

Below is the 2012 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup info so you can find out when you need to be in Sweetwater for the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant and other Roundup events....

The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup weekend will officially kick off on Thursday, March 8, 2012 with the Rattlesnake Review Parade at 4pm through downtown Sweetwater. That evening, you can attend the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant held in the Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. The doors will open at 8:00 a.m. Friday March 9, 2012 for the 54th Annual Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up with snakes being weighed in at 7:00 a.m. that morning at the Nolan County Coliseum. Catch one of the snake Safety demonstrations while you are at the Roundup and don't forget to try some deep-fried Western Diamondback Rattlesnake meat.

A few weeks ago I took a picture of this very particular Texas lady. When this very particular Texas lady saw this picture she told me to erase it because it made her look fat.

I was shocked.

I told this very particular Texas lady that the picture did not make her look fat, that it was all the Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream she has been eating, a spoonful at a time, that has given her a Rubenesque Kardashianish Bootiliciously Bodacious Bodunkadunk.

I thought this very particular Texas lady would appreciate being told she had developed a very nice Rubenesque Kardashianish Bootiliciously Bodacious Bodunkadunk. Some people pay a lot of money to get those things.

But, I have long learned that some people just can not take a compliment, no matter how nicely it is delivered.

I did not see the scene on the left when I was at Saturday night's The Party In Fort Worth, held in Fort Worth's private party club, the taxpayer paid Fort Worth Convention Center.

The only person I can identify, for certain in the scene, is Fort Worth Mayor, Betsy Price, who seems to be packing heat, which she appears to be firing in the direction of a pirate who appears to be, possibly, Fort Worth's notorious Congresswoman, Kay Granger, also known as Queen Earmark.

If that is Queen Earmark getting shot on the right, would that make the pirate standing on the left Fort Worth's poster boy for nepotism run amok, Kay's baby boy, J.D.?

All I know for sure is this is the first instance of a Fort Worth mayor engaging in gunplay in downtown Fort Worth since Fort Worth's former mayor, Mike Moncrief, shot up downtown Fort Worth with his fellow gun nut, Texas Governor, Rick Perry, in shots seen around the world.

I stepped outside to take a photo from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world on the next to last day of the second month of 2012 to feel a light drizzle descending upon the earth at my location on the planet.

I heard a short rainstorm dripping down in the middle of the night. More of that is scheduled for today, along with some possible electric storm action.

Currently, with the nuclear sky orb having arrived to do its daily heating duties, the outer world is warmed to 60 degrees at my location, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to one of my least favorite subjects, that being the current American presidential election process.

I may be wrong, because I often am, but I think Republican Rick Santorum may have shot himself in the foot by repeatedly saying that a speech made by JFK in the 1960 presidential campaign made him want to throw up.

Opining that an opinion in a speech made over a half century ago makes one want to throw up sounds very un-presidential to me.

JFK was a Catholic addressing the issue of the proper place for religion in the American political system. Rick Santorum, a fellow Catholic, thinking he should be the 2nd Catholic elected president, does not seem to understand the point JFK was making.

If Rick Santorum gets the Republican nomination I suspect it will cause me to do something I did not think I would do again. As in vote for Obama.

Monday, February 27, 2012

I exited my local neighborhood Sam's Club this early evening to see the setting sun casting a bright orange glow. It looked like what photos I've seen of nuclear bomb detonations look like. Which I guess makes sense since the sun is a non-stop nuclear explosion a long ways away.

I don't recollect ever seeing sunsets of this type whilst I watched the sun set in Washington. Does the special mix of air pollutants we are blessed with here in Texas contribute to the colorfulness? I have no way of knowing, but I suspect so.

I have not gone on any of the annual Botanist led Trout Lily Nature Hikes on the Tandy Hills, so I am not certain I know for sure what a Trout Lily looks like, but I think this wildflower I saw today on the Tandy Hills may be one of the elusive Trout Lilies.

This particular bloom was located beside the trail that leads up the hill to the south of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee Grotto.

Signs of springs are starting to add color to the currently mostly brown Texas prairie.

I think we may be heading to a very good Texas wildflower season. If you have not visited Texas before and you want to see the state when it is being its most colorful, make your way here the coming Spring.

In addition to the alleged Trout Lily I had another unusual siting today on the Tandy Hills.

Tandy Creek Roaring Over Tandy Falls

As I hiked down Mount Tandy I saw on a distant trail another human. A Man in Black. I do not know who the Man in Black managed it, but somehow by the time I got my camera out to take a picture of the surprising amount of water flowing over Tandy Hills, the Man in Black suddenly was on the north side of the falls.

I howdy-ed the Man in Black, which is proper Texas trail etiquette. The Man in Black howdy-ed me back. And continued on his way, surprisingly via the still very muddy, formerly raw sewage flooded, Tandy Highway.

I then climbed the steep trail that leads west to the View Street trail. A short time after that I was surprised to encounter the Man in Black again. That was one fast moving Man in Black.

Changing the subject from the Man in Black to something else.

I think some armadillos should be moved to the Tandy Hills. It does not seem right that I've seen dozens of armadillos over the years at River Legacy Park and the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, but never a single armadillo on the Tandy Hills.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the last blue Monday of the second month of 2012 it appears clouds are currently clouding seeing the sun at my location on the planet.

By tomorrow those clouds are scheduled to thicken and eventually produce rain and lightning, according to the weather predictors.

Currently the outer world at my location is being heated to 55 degrees, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to something else.

I made it through a couple hours of last night's 84th Academy Awards Show. I did not know that Billy Crystal was going to be the host. Having Billy Crystal doing the hosting greatly improved the Oscar Show from last year's terribly bad debacle.

Changing the subject again.

This morning I got an odd email from someone saying that I had called this particular person fat. I am feeling extreme umbrage at this particular accusation. It has been a long time since I have used the word "fat" in regards to any particular individual. I am feeling malignantly maligned due to this umbrage provoking "fat" accusation.

I wish I could say I was going swimming now to take my mind off of being fat. But I can't.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

In the picture you are on top of Mount Tandy, looking west at the unpaved highway that heads towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, well known as the location "Where the West Begins."

It is entirely fitting that an unpaved road that looks as if it has ruts worn by wagon wheels is heading towards the downtown of where the west begins.

I can't help but wonder if Fort Worth is the biggest town in America with an unpaved road so close to its downtown.

If that is the case, that is sort of impressive and I think totally brag worth, with an historical marker of some sort designating this unpaved road as such.

I do not know if it is still the case, but decades ago, when I was a kid, you could still see the wagon ruts of the Oregon Trail in places like Emigrant Springs State Park in Oregon.

Is the rutted wagon road that runs west from the top of Mount Tandy a spur of the old Chisholm Trail? I have no idea.

Changing the subject from wagon trains to rum swilling pirates and wenches.

I have heard from Elsie Hotpepper post her wench performance at The Party in Fort Worth.

Last night's festivities have Elsie still feeling groggy from too much grog.

Elsie Hotpepper does not feel like putting on her Margaret Thatcher costume to go to tonight's Red Carpet Oscar Party at the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum. I'm not much in the mood, either, to put on my Brad Pitt costume.

Speaking of which, this morning Steve A verbalized confusion as to who it was who was going to be Margaret Thatcher, with Steve A thinking it might be amusing to see me in that costume. That would be amusing. But, methinks Elsie Hotpepper would not make a very good Brad Pitt. Elsie has put on a lot of weight, while Brad Pitt is skinny.

The Wench Elsie Hotpepper & Blackbeard Durango
At The Party In Fort Worth

Can you find me being Blackbeard the Pirate, in the picture? With Elsie Hotpepper being my wench? At last night's The Party in Fort Worth at Fort Worth's private party club, the Fort Worth Convention Center.

My usual blogging rules forbid me blogging about anything that happens between 9pm and 5am. Those hours are reserved for the Durango After Dark blog, which has limited access.

But, I am making a slight exception to this steadfast rule, due to the fact that I did mention, in this blogging venue, about myself and Elsie Hotpepper going to a party with J.D. Granger, J.D.'s mom and Aubrey McClendon, with me being a pirate and Elsie being my wench.

Suffice to say a semi-good time was had by all.

Especially Elsie Hotpepper, who seemed to take her wench role quite seriously, with great authenticity, which included imbibing in what seemed to me to be an unseemly amount of rum.

I think I will go to the Tandy Hills now and try and work off some of last night's grogginess.

I was up late Saturday night, which has me up late looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this last Sunday morning of the second month of 2012.

Stepping outside was a bit bracing this morning. According to my computer based temperature monitoring device the outer world at my location is currently being chilled to 40 degrees.

Four mornings from this morning March is scheduled to roar in like a lion. Whatever that means.

Tonight is the Academy Awards Show. I can not remember the last time I made it through an entire Academy Awards Show or found it fun to watch. Last year's show was unbearably bad with unbearably bad hosts. I think I made it through less than an hour. I have no idea who the likely unbearably bad host is this year, which is indicative of how far the Academy Awards have fallen off my radar screen.

I only know of a few of the movies that have gotten award type attention this year. One of them, The Descendants, I only know about because I know one of the actresses in it, an actress I went skinny dipping with a long long time ago. The actress I went skinny dipping with is not up for an Academy Award tonight.

Speaking of the Academy Awards, I do not know if I am up to going to the Red Carpet Oscar Party at the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum tonight. Elsie Hotpepper and I are scheduled to go as Margaret Thatcher and Brad Pitt, but after last night's exhausting Party in Fort Worth at Fort Worth's private party club, the Fort Worth Convention Center, where I was the pirate Blackbeard and Elsie Hotpepper was my wench, the idea of going to another party so soon after last night's does not seem appealing to me at this particular point in time.

I wish I could say I am going swimming now, but I can't, it is too cold.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The hiking temperature on the Tandy Hills today was about as near perfect as I can recollect ever experiencing.

The last Saturday of February is a beautiful day in North Texas.

On this incredibly prefect day I was the only sign of life I saw today on the Tandy Hills.

I did not get gas today, but I called my mom anyway to talk on the drive to the Tandy Hills.

My mom and dad are looking forward to the incoming visit from Spencer Jack in a couple weeks.

I was still talking to my mom when I got to my parking spot on View Street. A lady in a van drove up next to me and rolled down her window indicating she wanted to ask me something.

I rolled down my window after which the lady asked me if I knew where Don Young's house was. I did happen to know where that particular abode was and told her where to find it.

My mom then asked me who Don Young was and why I knew where his house was. I had no idea how to explain who Don Young was or why I know where his house is, so I just told my mom that Don Young is in the news a lot here and everyone knows where he lives.

Except for that lady in the van who stopped to ask me where Don Young's house was.

Apparently Don Young is destined to show up all over the place with me today. As in a couple emails about the upcoming Prairie Fests. I shall copy the latest one below.........

We all have a place that inspires us to take a stand against Big Gas & Oil.

That place can be as vast as the Upper Delaware River Basin that inspired Josh Fox or a humble home in the suburbs. For me that place was and is, Tandy Hills Natural Area, in Fort Worth, Texas.

I'm requesting your help to keep Tandy Hills "like it was."

The main thing you need to know about Tandy Hills is that it's one of the last of the breed. The few remnants of native Texas prairie are akin to Unicorns: Beautiful, exceedingly rare and hunted to near extinction.

The 160 acres of Tandy Hills prairie were stalked by the gas industry just like the mythical Unicorn hunters of old. Keeping them at bay has been one of the few victories in the local gas war. But it takes constant surveillance, unwavering commitment and creative subversion to keep them out of Tandy Hills.

That's what Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area (FOTHNA) does, but in a non-threatening, positive way. FOTHNA helps people fall in love with the place so they will fight to protect it. Most importantly, we help educate the future guardians of the place.

Prairie Fest and Kids on the Prairie may look like benign activities but they are actually part of a subversive campaign to save some of Fort Worth by raising public awareness via wildflowers, music, art and environmental education.

Here's how it works:

---> Prairie Fest began in my front yard in 2006 as a direct attempt to keep gas drilling out of the park. Since then, the solar-powered festival has become one of the largest green festivals in north Texas, winning the Best Outdoor Cultural Event in Fort Worth in 2010 while demonstrating environmental stewardship to thousands of Texans. It even received an honor from the City of Fort Worth.

--->Kids on the Prairie is a partnership outreach program between Friends of Tandy Hills and the Fort Worth ISD. Funds raised at Prairie Fest pay for hundreds of public school kids to have a field day of learning at Tandy Hills. Most of these kids are low-income. They are led by a group of Master Naturalists recruited by FOTHNA.

As founder of FWCanDo, I have never asked you for money. Any service I provided over the years was done out of a sense of love and duty. As founder-director of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, I ask you to help us save some of Fort Worth in one of the two E-Z ways listed below.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world at the time of the breaking of dawn on this final Saturday of the second month of 2012 it appears February 25 is a blue sky day in Texas.

Chilled, currently, to 39 degrees, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device.

Tonight The Party In Fort Worth takes place at Fort Worth's private party club known as the Fort Worth Convention Center.

If I remember right I have already mentioned that Chesapeake Energy is sponsoring The Party In Fort Worth, so it is Pirate Themed. I have grown myself a scraggly beard and dyed it black so I can attend costumed as Blackbeard. Elsie Hotpepper will be being Blackbeard's wench.

I rather enjoyed yesterday's return to getting some good endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation on the Tandy Hills. I think I will get myself some more endorphins today.

Friday, February 24, 2012

I have heard the criticism of Wikipedia, along the reasoning line that the info in Wikipedia can not be trusted because anyone can edit the info.

I have edited a Wikipedia article or two. Not correcting anything erroneous, but rather to add info. For instance the Wikipedia article about Quanah Parker missed a few of the monuments to his memory. So, I added them.

Well, tonight, for the first time ever, I came upon a Wikipedia article that is really really bad with its inaccuracies. And needs to be deleted or edited to more accurately reflect the subject.

At the start of the article Wikipedia has one of its warning messages telling the reader there are problems with the article, saying it has multiple issues, does not cite any sources, that it does not meet Wikipedia's standards.

Apparently Wikipedia has known this article had a problem since 2009.

Well, Wikipedia, I can make it real clear for you. This article is a propaganda piece obviously written by a Trinity River Vision Boondoggle shill. Or maybe J.D. Granger himself, what with the grammar and spelling errors.

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the notorious J.D. Granger being given the job of overseeing the Boondoggle because his mommy is Congresswoman Kay Granger and her son's project is one of Kay's pet Earmark Projects. The article makes no mention of the fact that J.D. Granger has absolutely no qualifications for running such a project. Or the fact that Fort Worth apparently does not understand that nepotism has no place in a modern democratic city.

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the first completed project of the Vision Boondoggle is the now flood damaged Cowtown Wakeboard Park, which the aforementioned unqualified J.D. Granger touted as the World's Premier Urban Wakeboard venue.

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the second completed project of the Vision Boondoggle is a restaurant built for celebrity chef Tim Love in a secret sweetheart deal.

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has had a citizen's revolt erupt in the form of the Trinity River Improvement Partnership (TRIP).

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the amount of eminent domain abuse that is taking place to facilitate the Vision Boondoggle.

The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that this billion dollar public works project was put in play without ever being put to a public vote.

Below is the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Wikipedia propaganda article in its entirety (I have added a comment or two in parentheses in the article)....

The Trinity River Vision Project is a master plan for 88 miles (142 km) of the Trinity River (Texas) and its major tributaries in Fort Worth, Texas. The river is a significant part of the history of Fort Worth, and the city's downtown was developed in 1849 as an army outpost along its banks of. (this 'banks of' syntax error is in the article)

More than a decade in the making, the master plan was conceived by volunteers and community leaders, and adopted by the city, county, state and federal officials.[citation needed] (citation hard to find because it is not true) The goal of the master plan is to preserve and enhance the river and its corridors so they remain essential greenways for open space, trails, neighborhood focal points, wildlife and recreation areas.

Central City

Central City is one segment of the Trinity River Vision Master Plan. It focuses on the river as the key to help revitalize an aging area of Fort Worth's central city and open up a portion of the river that currently has limited visibility and access. Central City will provide the link from downtown to the Stockyards and the Cultural District. It will combine recreational opportunities with flood control and environmental enhancements to greatly improve public utilization of the river. This new infrastructure will offer 12 miles (19 km) of active urban waterfront and a 33-acre (130,000 m2) lake just North of downtown, making the entire area attractive for private development and mixed-income housing.

Infrastructure needed for flood control and transportation will restore an aging industrial area once devoted to oil refining, scrap metal yards, electrical and chemical plants. When the bypass channel is completed around 800 acres (3.2 km2) of underutilized land between the Tarrant County Courthouse and Northside Drive will be accessible for private redevelopment opportunities- in essence doubling the size of downtown. An envisioned 10,000 housing units and three million square feet of commercial, retail and educational space will make it possible for Fort Worth residents to live, work, shop, play and learn near the river.

Neighborhood and Recreational Enhancement Plan

The 2003 Trinity River Vision Master Plan was adopted by the Tarrant Regional Water District, Streams & Valleys, Inc., The City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Many projects including trail extensions, new trailheads, trail amenitites, (misspelling in article) additional low water dams and pedestrian bridges and private developments oriented to the Trinity Greenbelt have been implemented in the last six years.

The Vision since 1970 (since 1970???) has always been to advocate for this natural resource, bringinig (misspelling in article) back the beauty and recreational value of the Trinity. In recent years, water and environmental quality have become an important focus of the revival of this greenbelt corridor. All of this has been accomplished while maintaining important flood control management.

The TRVA strongly believes that we as a region can no longer take our air, water and overall environmental quality for granted, it is imperative that we keep moving forward now at a faster pace to protect these wonderful greenbelt systems.

Gateway Park

Another component of the Trinity River Vision is Gateway Park. The 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) park will be filled with new recreational amenities such as soccer fields, a softball complex, a water park, disk golf course, equestrian and biking trails just to name a few. (Gateway Park already has most of these amenities) This will make Gateway one of the nation's largest urban-programmed parks. The restoration of the Riverside Oxbow will preserve beautiful, 200-year-old trees and encourage the redevelopment of bottomland hardwood forest. The project will spur economic development around the park and will connect the East and Southeast neighborhoods of Fort Worth to the Trinity River Corridor.

Today marked the first time I've been on the Tandy Hills since Saturday, February 11. That's is a long long time ago.

The hills are still a bit damp in a few locations courtesy of our most recent deluge.

Today was my first bout of extreme endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation in what seem like a long long time.

I feel a lot better right now, with a fresh dose of endorphin meds coursing through my veins.

That aforementioned deluge must have unleashed quite a powerful flash flood into Tandy Creek. Powerful enough to move a large number of the large rocks that had been placed on top of one of the Tandy Creek crossings.

I got up about the same time as the sun this last Friday of the second month of 2012. I stepped outside the bars of my patio prison cell to take a picture of this very blue morning to find myself instantly being a bit chilly.

According to my computer based temperature monitoring device it is only 45 degrees this morning. That is quite a precipitous drop from yesterday's balmy 80s.

Yesterday I thought I was over my bout of respiratory woes.

But.

This morning I found myself suddenly coughing, which had me suddenly with a headache, followed by other maladies.

Simply put, I think I am back being a mess again.

Is it a coincidence that my current bout of breathing woes began around the same time my neighborhood Chesapeake Energy well got fracked?

Right about now the idea of breathing the evergreen scented air of Washington is sounding real good.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

It is really being a really good thing to be back feeling almost like my old really healthy self.

I think this return to feeling good is being helped by the relatively balmy temperature in the outer world.

My walk today around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park was heated to 77 degrees, heading to a predicted high today in the 80s.

If I was still living in Washington and it was in the 80s, today everyone would be whining about wilting in the incredibly HOT heat wave.

But, I am not in Washington, so I don't whine these days when the sun heats the outer world to the 80 degree zone. I don't whine in Texas, about the temperature, in Texas, til it goes over the 110 zone.

Dozens of people and turtles were enjoying the sun at Oakland Lake Park today. The turtles seemed particularly happy and were not being at all skittish.

The Oakland Lake Park grass is being mowed today. I'd forgotten how good fresh mowed grass smells on a warm winter day.

My attempt to go swimming today was aborted after going from the shallow end to the deep end without feeling like there was an indication I was going to quickly acclimate to the temperature. I may make another attempt tomorrow morning, due to it getting HOT here today.

I have been slightly ailing for the past couple weeks, so a thing or two has slipped past my notice.

Like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has now been expanded to provide Fort Worth with a much needed drive-in movie theater.

The Tarrant Regional Water District, it being the entity in cahoots with the TRV Boondoggle, is leasing 25 acres, give or take an acre or two, of land it owns south of LaGrave Field, to a Dallas startup business called Coyote Theaters.

Yes. That sounds like a good plan, lease land to a startup business starting up a new business they've not started up before. Sounds like a recipe for success. Sort of like building the world's premiere wakeboard park where it can get wiped out by a flood.

Tarrant Regional Water District board member, Jim Lane, is totally on board, thinking this is a great idea. Mr. Lane plans on borrowing a neighbor's 1957 Chevy to take his wife to the drive-in. I assume to recreate the wild drive-in nights of his youth.

I've been there, done that. My drive-in vehicle was a 65 Mustang Fastback. In the Skagit Drive-In. A drive-in theater long gone. As are most drive-ins in America. Outdated relics of the past.

The TRV Boondoggle Drive-In will have 3 screens. Each screen will be able to be watched by movie goers in up to 300 cars. Tickets will be in the $6 to $8 range.

That sounds believable. Sort of like how the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and its propaganda co-horts claimed 7 to 8 million visitors a year to the Fort Worth Cabela's sporting goods store would make Cabela's the top tourist attraction in Texas. With apparently no one doing the math to see how unlikely was a daily average of around 22,000 visitors to a sporting goods store.

The Tarrant Regional Water District con jobbers are claiming they will realize $1.7 million in rent from the lease to the Coyote Theater start-up.

I have found no info as to how this deal came to be. Was it the same type machinations that got Tim Love his sweetheart deal for the cool new Woodshed Smokehouse?

I can not help but wonder if one of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Drive-In Movie Theater's screens will be facing the Trinity River, so that in summer, the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Feces Infested Floats can enjoy watching a movie from the comfort of their favorite dangerously polluted river?

My only drive-in experiences have been in Washington, decades ago, before most cars had air conditioning. In Washington you don't often have any need for air-conditioning. With modern cars and air conditioners, how does that work at a movie drive-in theater?

Three screens with up to 500 cars each? That'd be 1,500 cars running their A/Cs to keep cool on a HOT Texas summer night. That does not sound very eco-friendly to me.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the final Thursday of the second month of 2012, the day appears to have dawned with a pleasantly blue sky.

I can tell via my computer based temperature monitoring device that the outer world at my location is currently heated to 56 degrees.

My attempt to go swimming yesterday morning did not succeed. I got waste deep and decided it was too cold to go any deeper.

The temperature got into the 70s yesterday and is almost 60 right now. I don't know if I will make another swimming attempt. I do know at this time last year I was swimming. I fear I may have become somewhat of a cold water wimp.

Speaking of cold water. I made it through last night's Republican Debate in Arizona. I thought Newt Gingrich did the best. At times Rick Santorum seemed borderline convoluted. Mitt Romney continues to annoy me, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's my aversion to used car salesmen. Ron Paul continues to amuse me.

But, where is a Ronald Reagan when the Republicans so desperately need one?

I think I will go try and go swimming now and take my mind off the sad state of American politics.

I guess the answer to that when will the walls come tumbling question, asked last Thursday, was the following Wednesday.

Albertson's Cart Warning Sign

Back to Albertson's.

Signs have been placed at various locations on the Albertson's parking cautioning shoppers that their cart will STOP suddenly if taken beyond the yellow line.

I can't help but wonder how it was determined that it made business sense to invest in new high-tech shopping carts?

I do know, a time or two, I have noticed Albertson's grocery carts abandoned, off property.

I suspect shoppers use the grocery carts to haul their groceries back to their nearby abodes.

Rather than replace the old grocery carts with these new auto-lock ones, why not go for other options? To use an ALDI grocery cart you rent it for a quarter.

If a shopper is so desperate to haul their groceries home, due to not having a vehicle, that they roll their groceries home in the Albertson's grocery cart, why not come up with a way to solve that problem?

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this next to last Wednesday of the 2nd month of 2012 the swimming pool looks like it might be warmed to a swimmable temperature.

It is currently 55 degrees in the outer world at my location, soon after the daily arrival of the glowing sky orb.

I feel like I am at the tail end of my recent first viral bout of the new century. The fact that I'm going to test out the swimming pool this morning would seem to be indicative of a return to feeling healthy.

A week from today will be the last day of February. I totally tire of the ever increasing speed with which time flies.

Spencer Jack is flying to Phoenix on March 14 to visit my mom and dad. I told my mom and dad I'd fly to Phoenix in March. Now March is almost here and I'm not much in the mood to fly to Phoenix.

Before I moved to Texas I used to take off for long distance locations on momentary whims. I have no idea what about Texas has made me so stodgy about taking off for long distance locations on momentary whims. Maybe it is yet one more age-related malady.

Looking at the outer world via my primary viewing portal it appears that this 3rd Tuesday of the 2nd month of 2012 has dawned free of clouds littering the sky.

We are currently on day 21 of a month with only 29 days.

In just a few weeks the Vernal Equinox will arrive. By the time the Vernal Equinox has the sun midway to its Summertime highest point in the sky, it should be warm enough to enable a pleasant return to swimming.

Changing the subject from the sun to Presidents.

I just read a President's Day article about the bad behavior of two presidents, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

I was appalled to learn that at one point in time Clinton lost the nuclear codes that he was supposed to keep with him at all times. And when he finally fessed up to losing them, he did not know how long he'd lost them.

I have no idea how the nuclear codes work. But, does this mean if Clinton lost the nuclear codes during one of his frequent trips to McDonald's or a doughnut shop and if a kid found the codes, could that kid have accidentally started a nuclear war? Into what are the nuclear codes entered?

Speaking of nuclear war, we seem to live, currently, in a much safer world. I can not remember the last time I heard the subject of Fallout Shelters mentioned.

Monday, February 20, 2012

By the time noon rolled around on this President's Day I did not have the energy to drive anywhere to go on a walk to try and get my daily dose of endorphins from aerobic over-stimulation.

So, I hiked over to Miss Puerto Rico's to take a picture of this stormy looking President's Day in Texas.

I don't think I've been over to Miss Puerto Rico's to take a picture since I took a late in the afternoon shadowy picture which had someone named Anonymous all perplexed over the important issue of what was depicted in that picture.

Which perplexed me because I'd quite clearly indicated it was the late in the afternoon shadowy view from Miss Puerto Rico's.

On the hike over to Miss Puerto Rico's I called my mom because yesterday I got gas and did not call my mom to tell her I'd gotten gas and how much it cost. My mom and dad were not home when I called.

I assume, by now, my mom and dad have learned that their one and only great-grand-kid, Spencer Jack, is flying to visit them in mid-March.

If I remember right, I don't think I ever flew anywhere til I was 18. Up to Alaska. Spencer Jack is only 4 and he's flown to Los Angeles to go to Disneyland, to Hawaii, across the country to Florida to go on a Caribbean cruise and probably a time or two I'm forgetting.

I just got an executive email order from Elsie Hotpepper ordering me to get better. I wish I could, but I don't know how to do that.

Looking through my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this 20th day of the 2nd month of 2012 it appears that this 3rd Monday of the month is a bit cloudy.

The weather predictors are predicting it will be windy today.

I saw no confirmation whilst reading any of my online news sources this morning, but I believe today is President's Day. George and Abe used to get their own special days on their birthdays. Now they have to share with all the other presidents.

Yesterday's news brought news of a danger I've not been exposed to since I moved to Texas.

On Sunday more than a dozen skiers in the Stevens Pass zone of Washington's Cascade Mountains got caught in a massive avalanche, with 3 of the skiers killed.

I don't think there is any place in Texas where you might find yourself caught in an avalanche.

Every location on the planet has its own special dangers. I never heard a tornado siren when I lived in Washington.

I opined to Miss Hotpepper that I thought it would be easier for her to look like Marilyn Monroe than Margaret Thatcher. But, as I so often am, I was wrong. Elsie Hotpepper is a dead ringer for Margaret Thatcher.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

I am hoping to be back at full strength by next weekend. I will need all the strength I can muster.

Next Saturday night Elsie Hotpepper and I are going to The Party in Fort Worth. This is that big party I have mentioned previously for us Fort Worth elite, held at the private country club known as the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Because Chesapeake Energy is hosting this party it is pirate themed. I will be going attired as Blackbeard, while Elsie Hotpepper will be going attired as my wench.

Then the next night, Sunday, Elsie Hotpepper and I will be walking the red carpet at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth to attend the Lone Star Film Society annual Oscar Watching Party.

Us attending have been urged to attire ourselves after one of the Oscar nominees.

So, I will be going as Brad Pitt from Moneyball, while Elsie Hotpepper will put on some big hair and turn herself into Margaret Thatcher.

It should be a very festive evening. Admission is free to the Oscar Watching Party, you don't need a ticket, it is a seating is first come first seated type of deal.

In other words the Oscar Watching Party is a much more democratic affair than is The Party in Fort Worth that Elsie and I are going to Saturday night.

In the picture you are looking at Fort Worth park benches in Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park.

This particular collection of park benches is a waiting area for people playing horseshoes in the nearby horseshoe pit.

I parked at Quanah Parker Park to go on a brisk walk today on my way to Town Talk.

In the Fort Worth Parks that I frequent there are park benches on which "FORT WORTH" is spelled out on the bench backs.

I don't know if I've ever seen another town that puts its name on its park benches.

I can not help but wonder if it costs extra to have a name put on a park bench. I know Fort Worth is flush with money, so such things are not an issue.

I'm guessing in a town with a cash flow woe, causing cutbacks in library hours and the closing of public pools, in that type town extra money would not be spent on something as frivolous as putting the town's name on its park benches.

My walk in Quanah Parker Park today was mostly dry until precipitation began precipitating in copious amounts right when I got back to the waterproof inside of my vehicular transport. The precipitation continues to precipitate in copious amounts.

I saw the above item about Dallas on Facebook this morning from Miss CD0103. I thought it was amusing.

I have experienced the "What out-of-state relatives think about Dallas" type attitude.

I remember shortly before moving to Texas I went to the movies with a Seattleite to watch the X-Files movie.

The X-Files movie starts in Dallas.

But, for some reason a residential area that looked like it was in the West Texas desert was made to look like it was at the fringe of the Dallas downtown. Even at that point in time, prior to making the move to Texas, I knew this was not what it looked like.

I leaned over to the Seattleite and whispered, "that is not what it looks like, it actually is very green, not brown desert."

She then smugly and sarcastically said, "yeah, right."

Four months after I made the move to Texas that same smug, sarcastic Seattleite took a trip here to see for herself what I'd moved myself to. I do not recollect asking her if she now got why I said the X-Files movie had Dallas all wrong.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this 3rd Saturday morning of the 2nd month of 2012 I see that that outer world is currently a bit wet.

I started hearing precipitation precipitating very early this morning. The precipitation continues to precipitate and is predicted to keep precipitating throughout the day.

Currently the outer world at my location, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, is being warmed to 48 degrees.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to Nephews in Danger.

My great nephew Spencer Jack's dad emailed me last night with the subject line of "BP Cherry Point Explosion: One Nephew In Serious Danger".

Apparently Spencer Jack's uncle Joey was working at the Cherry Point BP Refinery yesterday when something went badly wrong, resulting in a huge fire. No one was injured. Ironically Joey was installing video/media hardware in a conference room designed to teach refinery workers safety practices.

Cherry Point is south of Birch Bay, maybe 15 miles south of the Canadian border. When we were kids I remember the parental units taking us to the Cherry Point zone and pointing out a big house that supposedly Bing Crosby at one point owned.

Changing the subject from Nephews in Danger to my failing health.

This morning I am feeling better. I don't know if this is the result of recovering from whatever it is that has been ailing me, or the result of taking meds.

Friday, February 17, 2012

I thought a walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area might make me feel a lot better than the headachy respiratory woes misery I was suffering this morning.

I thought right. I feel way better having breathed in some of what passes for fresh air on this part of the planet.

In the picture you are looking at a pair of crows at the top of a pair of oak trees that overlook the Village Creek Blue Bayou.

Crows were and are a big deal in the Native American culture. I'm sure there must have been some deep spiritual significance to the two crows who were keeping an eye on me whilst I communed with the Indian Ghosts.

Spring really felt in the air today, even though it is over a month til the Vernal Equinox. Wildflowers are doing some early blooming, like the beautiful, bright yellow wildflower you see below.

Is that not a colorful bloom of yellow? The grass was semi-carpeted with these sunny blooms today. The sunny yellow blooms did not give off a pleasant fragrance.

Among the bright, yellow wildflowers were these white balls of cotton looking wildflowers. These white ball of cotton wildflowers remind me of the top of the Reunion Tower in Dallas.

It is time for lunch now. I made a supposedly healing pot of cabbage chicken soup. That is what the recipe called it, a healing pot of soup. I will let you know if it healed me. I have my doubts.

Fort Worth has a minor league hockey team that plays in that flying saucer shaped arena you see in the picture. The flying saucer shaped arena is part of Fort Worth's Convention Center where few conventions take place.

The Fort Worth Convention Center does host a lot of events other than conventions, such as the BIG PARTY Elsie Hotpepper and I are going to later this month.

During the period of time I have been observing how things get done in Fort Worth I have noticed that when someone proposes building something in Fort Worth, be it a convention center hotel, a corporate headquarters or a sporting goods store, the entity doing the building does so only after Fort Worth provides tax breaks and other perks.

So, imagine my surprise this morning when I read an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram proposing building something in Fort Worth in a way I've never seen done here before...

Fort Worth Unveils Proposal For New NBA, NHL Arena And Teams

The wheels are turning for a new, self-funded NBA and NHL arena in Fort Worth, funded privately and publicly by tax revenue on the arena development and the professional teams that would call it home.

The plan was spearheaded by Fort Worth-born investor Chris Hansen, who with his investment group is planning to purchase an NBA franchise and bring it to Fort Worth. He also is searching for a partner to bring an NHL team to Fort Worth.

“If we succeed, this project means hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment – an investment that will help our city recover from the longest and deepest recession since the Great Depression,” said Mayor Betsy Price at an announcement Thursday at City Hall.

Okay, I know you're thinking, wait a minute, Fort Worth does not have major league professional teams of any sort, let alone aspiring to have two such teams in a new arena.

Three emails and two phone calls asking me if something is wrong due to me not having done my ritualistic morning blogging that starts with that morning's view from one of my viewing portals on the outer world has me feeling compelled to blog to say the only thing wrong is I am currently ailing.

I think I have been fighting getting sick for the first time this century for about two weeks, maybe longer.

The cold meds I am taking make me groggy and turns typing into a bit of a challenge, looking at the monitor through blurry eyes.

In other words, simply put, I am a mess.

It has been awhile, maybe at least a week, since someone has suggested I high tail it out of Texas. This morning someone calling him or herself "Lone Star" spoke for all of Texas in suggesting I leave this fine state.

Y'know, I've read your blog for some time and I have come to the conclusion that you really don't like Texas. But this is a free country. No one says that you have to stay here. You might be happier if you moved on to someplace else that suits you better. And we'd be happier if you did, too... Texas isn't meant for everyone, and not everyone is meant for Texas. That's why they make these things called U-hauls, y'all.

I am appalled, appalled I tell you, that Lone Star for some reason thinks I don't like Texas. While it is absolutely true that I don't like somethings in Texas, including some Texans, it is really an outrageous overstatement to say I don't like Texas.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Due to the fact that I am a bit groggy due to being medicated with Suphedrine, I did not think it a good plan today to do something foolish like drive somewhere to go on a salubrious, endorphin inducing walk to get some aerobic stimulation.

In my current state of ill-being I don't think there is any amount of strenuous walking that could have a salubrious effect.

I decided my noon time walk today would be to my neighborhood Albertsons to get this week's Fort Worth Weekly.

Across the street from the Albertsons parking lot is my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake that I have made mention of previously.

Recently the well inside the walls of Fort Chesapeake was fracked. A fracked well means the shale far below has been fractured, releasing the natural gas.

Well.

Currently my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake gas well is capped and not moving any gas. If gas ever does flow from this well, I can not help but wonder where the non-odorized gas pipeline will run.

To the south you have the Albertsons strip mall. To the west and north you have big apartment complexes. To the east you have the Loop 820 freeway. There is not much frontage land under which a pipeline might run.

So, where will my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake gas flow?

Another things struck my groggy mind today when I took a picture of the walls of my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake.

That being, this particular Fort Chesapeake is in an area zoned residential and commercial. Hence the apartment complexes, houses and Albertsons. It is not zoned industrial.

If Albertsons or any of the apartment complexes by my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake erected a tall, ugly wall around their property methinks this would be frowned upon, even here, where so much gets by with so little frowning.

So, how long does Chesapeake Energy get to have this wall eyesore in place?

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world, on this morning of day 16 of the 2nd month of 2012, I see a slightly hazy sky.

What I can not see looking out my primary viewing portal on the world is what my computer based temperature monitoring device tells me, that being that it is currently 41 degrees at my location. Heading to a high in the high 50s.

I have now resigned myself to the fact that I am currently experiencing my first actual 'cold' event of the new century.

By 'cold' I do not mean anything to do with the temperature in the outer world. By 'cold' I am referring to the sickening effects a 'cold' virus has had on me.

I am currently on 'cold' meds. These seem to have somewhat abated the symptoms.

In other news, yesterday I mentioned that the BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for Elsie Hotpepper resulted in Elsie Hotpepper being located.

This morning someone named Anonymous informed me that he or she had canceled the Elsie Hotpepper BOLO. And that Anonymous had heard that Miss Hotpepper was currently moonlighting at the Woodshed Smokehouse.

I find Anonymous's claim to be very difficult to believe. Elsie Hotpepper already has a more than full time job that at times means a 12 hour day. I really can't see Elsie Hotpepper going from her regular job to schlepping tables for Tim Love.

In about a month I think I will likely be able to say what I can't say today, that being, I am going swimming now.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Fosdic Lake Fosducks were not be their usual skittish selves today at Oakland Lake Park.

Methinks they may be suffering from the same malady of which I am suffering. As in this sudden return to warm temperatures and high humidity does not a perky duck or boy make.

In the mid afternoon time frame it is 72 degrees at my location on the planet.

I have my windows open.

I overheated today walking around Fosdic Lake. Of late, I can not seem to find the correct balance between being overdressed or underdressed. I either overheat, or start shivering, before I realize I am not properly attired to endure the current state of the elements.

Earlier today I mentioned that Elsie Hotpepper had gone missing again. By mid-morning I'd located Miss Hotpepper. So, we can all quit worrying about a missing Elsie Hotpepper.

I am going to Wal-Mart in a short while to stock up on meds. I thought my cold/allergy symptoms had abated when I got up this morning. As is way too often the case, I thought wrong.

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the dawn of the morning of the 3rd Wednesday of the 2nd month of 2012 I think I see an optimistic shade of blue in the sky.

This morning as the sun arrives the outer world is already heated to 54 degrees, heading to what the weather predictors predict will be a high of 71, today, with a chance of lightning strikes.

With it already being February 15, over half the month is already history. Soon it will be Spring and cold temperatures will be a thing of the past.

After an exhausting, miserable day yesterday, a miserable day that had followed a miserable night of miserable insomnia, last night I slept like the proverbial baby. I start Wednesday feeling recovered from yesterday's litany of woes.

Speaking of woes. Last night I had a very close encounter with Jane Fonda in a dream/nightmare. This was not the Jane Fonda of the Barbarella era who visited me, but the Jane Fonda of 2012. We had an interesting conversation about the importance of moisturizing, among other topics.

Elsie Hotpepper has gone missing again. I will send out a search party today.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

I am almost certain that this too shall pass, but right at this point in time I'm feeling the most miserable I've felt this century.

I think I may have a fever, with my immune system in overdrive trying to fix me.

I'm running on about 2 hours sleep, if that, a throat that is sore, a head that aches, an energy level that is low.

Yes, I am being Mr. Miserable.

Years ago that was my theme song.

Mr. Miserable.

I forget the words. Something like I'm Mr. Miserable, with followup lines that seemed amusing back when I could remember them.

I gave up trying to sleep around 5 this morning. The following hours were spent laboriously adding new images to a website. The image originator, based in Los Angeles, did not do what he was supposed to do with the images. So, I get to fix them.

I will spend a few hours doing image fixing and then I'm going to medicate myself with herbal tea and hope to find some peaceful Nirvana.

I am up well before the sun on this 2nd Tuesday of the 2nd month of 2012, also known as Valentine's Day.

It is a very dark view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world this morning.

My computer based weather advisor has issued a Dense Fog Advisory. There does appear to be some fog, but I would not, currently, call it dense.

Last night I had myself a bad bout of insomnia. Real bad. This is not good. I need to be firing on all cylinders today so I can finish an annoying website making project that suddenly became difficult yesterday afternoon.

During one of the brief periods when I did fall asleep last night my phone woke me up with a spam text message.

Changing the subject from my litany of woes to something else.

I was surprised this morning to read in my old hometown newspaper that teaching cursive writing is no longer part of the Washington State Curriculum of Common Core State Standards.

Apparently learning cursive writing is yet one more casualty of the computer age.

I am left handed and have never had very good handwriting. I so seldom hand write anything anymore, that when I do, it is borderline illegible, no matter how hard I try to write nice.

So, if you get a Valentine's Day card in the mail from me today and you can not read what I wrote, you now know why.

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this Monday the 13th of February you can not tell that last night's falling ice has melted and turned into falling rain.

No Ice Storm.

I went into nocturnal mode last night fairly certain that I would not be easily mobile this morning due to a thick coating of slippery ice.

Currently at my location on the planet the outer world is being heated to only two degrees above freezing.

That is cold.

My interior space heating device is working hard this morning to counteract the frigidity of the outer world.

I did not get any endorphin stimulating aerobic activity yesterday. This has me feeling a bit unsettled this Monday morning. If rain continues to fall I may need to resort to walking under a bumbershoot later today.

I must go attend to Elsie Hotpepper's need to get properly dressed now. I will talk to you later.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

You are looking at a very rare evening view through the bars of my patio prison cell, this 2nd Sunday night of February.

I am more than just slightly appalled that due to the fact that I did not blog today about any endorphin inducing hiking endeavor that I have been getting emails, phone calls and text messages inquiring as to my well being.

Well, I am being fine.

I did not feel like going out in the COLD today. I am currently enduring a very annoying respiratory woe that is affecting the ease of breathing. I have never been an allergy sufferer.

Til now.

I also have never breathed air polluted by the pollutants that pollute the air that I breathe where I am now doing my breathing.

Special Weather Statement
From The National Weather Service

A few minutes ago ice began hitting my windows.

I really am not in the mood for an Ice Storm. But, I think an Ice Storm may be what is currently happening.

The National Weather Service has issued one of their Special Weather Statements, shouting the statement all in CAPITALS...

...WINTER WEATHER EXPECTED FOR NORTH TEXAS...

A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER MOST OF NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY MORNING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM EASTLAND TO WEATHERFORD TO DENTON TO MCKINNEY TO PARIS. SOUTHEAST OF THIS ADVISORY AREA...THE REST OF NORTH TEXAS WILL SEE A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...BECOMING SLEET MIXED WITH RAIN NEAR MIDNIGHT AND THEN ALL RAIN BEFORE SUNRISE IN ALL AREAS EXCEPT THOSE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 30 AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. BY MID MORNING THOSE LAST AREAS WILL CHANGE TO RAIN AS WELL. ACCUMULATIONS NEAR THE WINTER ADVISORY AREA MAY REACH UP TO THREE TENTHS OF AN INCH...BUT WITH WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES THESE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD ONLY AFFECT ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING...BECAUSE IT MAY BE HARD TO SEE ANY ICE ON ROADWAYS BEFORE REACHING IT. AS THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO WARM OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO RAIN AND THE WINTER WEATHER THREAT SHOULD END BY SUNRISE MONDAY WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20...AND BY MID MORNING IN ALL AREAS. AS WITH ALL WINTER EVENTS...THE SITUATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE. IF ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED FARTHER SOUTH...THE ADVISORY MAY BE EXPANDED.